Thermostatic valve



Feb. 27, 1940. A. .1. SCHUTT THERMOSTATIC VALVE Filed Nov. 21, 1934 .14 I 3MMM ail/7 3211/! Patented Feb. 27, 1940 v I I a i UNITED STATES PA Nr OFFICE THERMOSTATIC VALVE -Arthur J. Schutt, Lockport, N. Y., assign to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application November 21, 1934 Serial No. 154,034 1 Claim. (01. 236-34) This invention relates to valves for use at the point opposite the opening 40. Through the wall junctions of three conduits to direct into either of the hollow arm 44 which faces the opening40, of two of. .the conduits fluid flowing toward the there extends a circular opening 52 which is cojunction through the third and, particularly, to axial with the opening 40, and on the inner wall 57 valves for use in the cooling systems of internal of the hollow arm'll opposite the o enin 52 5 combustion engines to determine whether the there'is formed a fiat-faced boss 53. Without water which is discharged from the engine water the tank |2, there is located a fitting 4| on which jacket shall flow through the radiator before it is there are formed a tubular boss 43 which registers. returned to the water jacket. with the opening 40 in the fitting 38 and is con- The invention resides in cooperating elements nected to the outlet fitting 41 by a conduit 48 0 which can, as units, be united with and separated and a tubular boss 43 which registers with the from each other and are so constructed and ar-' opening 42 in the fitting 38 and is connected to ranged that a valve element which constitutes a the conduit It by a conduit 49.

part of one of them is capable of being moved The reference character 26 indicates a unit II from a position in which it directs fluid into one which includes an annular element 21 whose pathto a position in which it directs the fluid into outer edge is clamped between the fittings 33 another path. The. invention further compreand 4| by the screws 45 which secure the fittings hends the inclusion in the element of. which. the 4 together and to the rear wall of the tank l2 and valve element constitutesapart ofa thermosension whose inner edge there is formed an'upfive element through which the position of the standing cylindrical'fiange 35. To the annular 20 valve element is regulated in accordance with element 21, there'are secured the extremities of the temperature of the fluid. the legs of. a'stirrup-like element 28 which ex- For a better understanding of the nature and tends into the tubular boss 43. To the base of objects of the present invention, reference is the stirrup 28, there is secured one end of a metal 1' made to the following specification, wherein bellows 29 which isfilled with a-volatile liquid.

there is described the preferred embodiment of To the free end of the bellows 29, through the the invention which is illustrated in the accomintermediary of a stem 30 and a fork 3| which panying drawing. extends through the opening in the annular ele- In the accompanying drawing: ment 21, there is secured a. valve element 32 '30 Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a water cooled which islocated on the side of the annular ele- 30 internal combustion engine in whose cooling sysment 2'! opposite that on which the bellows. and tem there is installed a valve in accordance with the stirrup are located. The valve element 32 isthis invention. shaped generally like a sombrero from which the Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of. top of the crown has been removed and includes 36 Figure 1. an annular portion 33 and a cylindrical portion In Figure l, the reference character |li indi- 34 whose lower end merges into the inner edge cates a water cooled internal combustion engine of the annular portion and whose upper end." and the reference character H a radiator, whose fits somewhat'loosely in the opening 52 in the upper and lower tanks I2 and I3 are connected hollow arm 44 of the fitting 38. The annular porby a core I 4 in which there are provided water tion 33 seats on the cylindrical flange 35 on the 40 cooling passages between which the engine opannular element 21' when the bellows 29 is colerated fan I5 is adapted to draw air. The lower lapsed, and the outer end of. tubular portion tank l3 of the radiator ||-is connected to the 34 seats on the boss53 on the inner wall of the water jacket of the engine l0 by a conduit It in hollow arm 44 when the bellows is expanded.

g which there is installed an engine operated water It will be apparent that water which is forced 4,5 pump which is not shown in the drawing. by the pump into the water jacket of the engine The outlet fitting 41 which is secured over an I0 and thence through the outlet fitting 41 and opening in the upper wall of the water jacket of the conduit 48 into the tubular boss 43 of the the engine is of conventional design; but, within fitting 4| may leave the latter either between the the upper tank |2 of the radiator H of the enflange 35 of the annular element 21 and the an- 50 gine, there is located a fitting 38 which consists nular portion 33 of the valve element 32 or of a base 39 in which there are provided openings through the tubular portion 34 of the valve 32 40 and 42 which register, respectively, with openand the fitting 38. Water which leaves the tubuings in the rear wall 5| of. the tank and a hollow lar boss43 between the flange 35 of the annular arm 44 which extends from the opening 42 to 2. element 21 and the annular portion 33 of the g5 valve element 32 passes through the radiator H and is, consequently, cooled before it is drawn into the conduit l6 by the pump and returned to the water jacket. Water which leaves the tubular boss 30 through the tubular portion 34 of the valve 32 and the fitting 38 passes through the conduit 49 instead of the radiator and, consequently, is not considerably cooled before it is drawn into the conduit I6 by the pump and returned to the water jacket. Whether water which leaves the water jacket is returned thereto by way of the radiator I l or by way of the conduit 49 depends upon the temperature of the water in the water jacket, since the position of the valve element 32 is controlled by the bellows 29 which expands when it is heated and contracts when it is cooled. When the temperature of the water in the water jacket is low as it normally is when the engine is started, the bellows will be contracted and the valve element will occupy the position in which it is shown in solid lines in Figure 2, in which the annular portion thereof is seated on the flange 35 of the annular element 2! and the outer end of the cylindrical portion thereof is out of contact with the boss 53 in the hollow arm of. the fitting 38. When the valve element is in this position, no water can leave the tubular boss 43 except by way of the tubular portion 34 of the valve 32 and the fitting 38 and, consequently, the water which leaves the water jacket will not be considerably cooled before it is returned thereto. When the temperature of the water in the water jacket is high, as it normally is during operation of the engine, the bellows will be expanded and the valve element 32 will occupy the position in which it is shown in dash-and-dot lines in Figure 2 in which the outer end of the cylindrical portion thereof is seated throughout its circumference on the boss 53 and the annular portion thereof is out of contact with the cylindrical flange 35. When the valve element is in this position, no water can pass through the tubular portion 34 of the valve 32 and, consequently, the water which leaves the tubular boss 43 will pass between the flange 35 o! the annular element 21 and the annular portion 33 of the valve 32 and into the radiator I l and be cooled before it is returned to the water jacket. Of course, when the temperature of the water in the water Jacket is such that the valve element is positioned between the two extremes which have been considered, the water which leaves the tubular boss 43 will be returned to it partly by way of the radiator and partly by way of the conduit 49.

In concluding this specification, it is perhaps worth while to call attention to the fact that the unit 26 is, as a unit, separable from the parts with which it is associated after the fitting 4| has been disconnected from the rear wall of the upper tank 01. the radiator II; and that the valve herein disclosed may be employed at the junction of three conduits to regulate the .fiow of fluid from two of the conduits into the third as well as in the manner illustrated and described.

I claim:

In an internal combustion engine, a member in which there is provided an opening, a valve element which includes a generally tubular portion through which fluid may pass and is adapted to cooperate with the member to prevent flow of fluid through the opening therein except by way of the generally tubular portion, a temperature responsive actuating element carried by the mentioned member and connected to the valve element, a radiator in which there is included a tank with a ported wall, two ported members between which the ported wall of the tank and the first mentioned member are clamped, and a conduit carried by the ported member within the tank and telescopically related to the tubular portion of the valve element.

ARTHUR J. SCHU'I'I. 

